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SSA Newsletter

March 2025

5 Golden Nuggets: Warnings and Winning Moves

  • #1 The Entire Month Rule: The 62nd Birthday Buzzkillt
  • #2 Rest in Peace …Now Return to Sender
  • #3 Lump Sum FOMO: When Free Money Is Not Free
  • #4 Underwithholding Today May Lead to Regret Tomorrow
  • #5 Medicare’s MAGI Lookback and How to Outsmart It

Executive Summary

Advisor Mailbag

Social Security Shake-Up

GUEST EXPERT:
April Reed Crews,

SSA Newsletter

FEBRUARY 2025

Landmark Legislation Boosts Benefits to Millions of Public Sector Retirees

  • GPO Wipeout
  • The Hybrid Earner and WEP
  • Target Audience
  • Refunds Coming
  • The No-Check Club: Public Retirees Left Behind
  • Show Me the Money
  • Case Studies
  • The Financial Impact
  • Ripple Effects and Unanswered Questions

Executive Summary

Advisor Mailbag

GUEST EXPERT:
Michael O’Leary,

SSA Newsletter

November 2024

The Clock Is Ticking: Making Retirement and Social Security Claiming Decisions that Count

  • Trim the Fat
  • Review Employer-Provided Healthcare
  • Options
  • Options for Medicare Enrollees
  • Social Security Claiming Considerations
  • Extended Earnings
  • Paired Planning
  • Use it or Lose it,
SSA Newsletter

October 2024

The Double Taxation Debate

  • Debating Double Taxation
  • Ground Zero
  • Changing Tides
  • Pay-As-You-Go
  • Statistics Tell the Story
  • Crunching the Numbers
  • High Times
  • State of the Art

Executive Summary

About That Medicare Annual Enrollment Period

  • AEP Basics
  • Navigating the AEP
  • Healthcare Choices and Long-Term Planning
  • AEP Basics

Advisor Mailbag

GUEST EXPERT:
Ed Slott,

SSA Newsletter

September 2024

Post-Divorce Planning for Social Security

  • First Things First: 10 Years, Not 9 Years and 11 Months
  • Benefit Cessation Warning
  • Length of Marriage Requirements Vary
  • Other Eligibility Criteria for Exes
  • Independently Entitled Ex-Spouse
  • How Much Are We Talkin’?
SSA Newsletter

August 2024

Beware of WEP/GPO Outliers

  • Pension Plus
  • Simultaneous Entitlement
  • Lump Sum Beware
  • Payments from Primary Retirement Plans and Optional Savings Plans
  • A Dependent Spouse’s Early Claim Can Lead to Long-Term Cash Flow Deficiencies
  • Survivor Step-Up
  • Spousal Dependency Beware
  • The Quasi-Dependent Spouse

Executive Summary

Advisor Mailbag

GUEST EXPERT:
Annette Hammortree CLTC,

SSA Newsletter

July 2024

Bridging Social Security Gaps with Life Insurance

  • Dollars for Dependents
  • Family Maximum Rules May Limit Benefits
  • Gap Years
  • Widow(er)’s Penalty Beware
  • Supplementing Life Insurance

Executive Summary

Advisor Mailbag

GUEST EXPERT:
Mark Annese,

SSA Newsletter

June 2024

2024 Mid-Year Frequently Asked Questions

  • Social Security’s Struggles
  • Spousal Benefits
  • Sidestepping the Earnings Limit
  • Calculating the COLA
  • Taxes on Benefits
  • Benefit Estimates
  • Mastering the Medicare Maze
  • Medicare for the Disabled
  • Getting Back to Work
  • All in the Family
  • Taxation and SSDI
  • Steps for Application Success

Executive Summary

GUEST EXPERT:
Robert Wright,

SSA Newsletter

May 2024

Disability Insurance: A Crucial Part of Social Security

  • Patience Required
  • Defining Disability
  • Starting the Process
  • Banking On the Blue Book
  • When Cash Starts Flowing
  • Calculating SSDI Benefits
  • Medicare for the Disabled
  • Getting Back to Work
  • All in the Family
  • Taxation and SSDI
  • Steps for Application Success

Executive Summary

Advisor Mailbag

GUEST EXPERT:
Jean Priest
J Priest Solutions Retirement &

SSA Newsletter

April 2024

Overhauling Overpayments

  • Changing Times
  • Cases in Point
  • Overpayment Waiver Criteria
  • Smaller Comfort
  • Better Safe than Sorry
  • Receipt of Other Types of Benefits
  • Other Status Changes
  • Restoring Faith

Executive Summary

Advisor Mailbag

GUEST EXPERT:
Brad Pistole RICP®,